Panther athletics have achieved an extraordinary feat.
Recently, the N.C. High School Athletic Association released their Commissioner’s Trophy recipients for 2024-25, honoring eight service projects by member schools across the state. For the second time in three years, Franklin claimed two of the prestigious awards.
One was for a variety of projects undertaken by a multitude of athletes, including Hurricane Helene relief efforts, partnering with local kindergarteners and the UNIFY basketball game, which featured FHS Special Education students in an exhibition last month. The other was given to Panther indoor track and field, who visited Macon Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center last Christmas.
“This year was very special,” said track head coach Matt Harlfinger, who helps organize three such projects per year during Franklin’s cross country, indoor track and outdoor track seasons. “We sang Christmas carols … we had them kind of request some gifts they wanted, and they thought it would be good if we brought some gloves, wool hats, soaps, fragrances, stuffed animals, stuff like that. We did arts and crafts and made Christmas ornaments, and seeing their faces light up was just as cool as seeing a little kid’s face light up on Christmas, because some of these people that are there weren’t going to have anything. They weren’t going to see anybody, so it was really rewarding and really special.”
These are Franklin’s seventh and eighth awards of the past six years, including five for the UNIFY game and other projects (often led by the FHS Student Leadership Team), and three for cross country/track and field. Both groups also won Commissioner’s Cups in 2023, before the award’s official name was changed. Nearly 450 NCHSAA member schools are eligible for the trophy. The awards also include $1,000 stipends, which programs often put toward subsequent projects.